


Something Sweet

by secretly_a_cat



Series: Sweet [1]
Category: X-Ray & Vav (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-02-13 03:56:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12975354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretly_a_cat/pseuds/secretly_a_cat
Summary: Mogar is, obviously, very much a creature of the forest. Content to live peacefully with his mother after the colorful ones aided him in rescuing her. Mogar is grateful to them, but now they seem to think he is their friend, a member of their small pack. The curious female is excited about this and the one who smells of urine and sadness seems to have taken to the notion as well. The only one of this small pack who sees fit to leave well enough alone is the ponytail lady, the one who always smells of something sweet.





	1. The Move

**Author's Note:**

> This was started by Harte_Roan and I have been given permission to adopt it as my own. It'll be updated as I build on it and while I am going to kinda make it my own I will try to be as true to her vision for this as possible

Mogar is, obviously, very much a creature of the forest. The city may be strange and wondrous but it is too loud and noisy and he can never know when one of the city dwellers is going to attack him for having aided the Mad King. Or when one of them, sometimes even groups, will stop him in the street to praise/thank him for turning on the villain and helping the colorful ones in the end. So he goes home, back to live peacefully with his mother after the colorful ones aided him in rescuing her. Mogar is grateful to them and tells them so the day he leaves, but now they seem to think he is their friend, a new member of their small pack. The curious female is excited about this and the one who smells of urine and sadness seems to have taken to the notion as well. The only one of this small pack who sees fit to leave well enough alone is the ponytail lady, the one who always smells of metal and something sweet. She lets him leave without any argument, just an understanding smile and a nod as she holds the others back with just a word.

It was nearing the end of the warm seasons when his world was shaken up yet again. Mogar and his mother had been preparing their winter den, lining it with new furs and stocking up on enough dried meats, fruits and grasses to last them through the cold days. It was routine, it was familiar... It was ruined by the coloured ones. They had found Mogar, flushed him out of the deepest parts of the forest, and invited him and his mother into their den for the cold seasons. Promising plenty of food, a special room just for him and his mother, and enough room for his furs if he did not want one of those strange boxes to sleep on as they did. They must have heard him wrong when he said he would ask his mother and come to them before the forest was orange if she said yes because two days later his home is filled with four unfortunately familiar voices.

The blue one is loud and energetic, pulling a red wagon with many precariously stacked boxes spilling out of it. He keeps babbling on about adventures and justice and friendship. Behind the wagon the green one is supporting an especially wobbly stack and grumbling about turf and attention stealing furries. But Mogar pales when he hears the curious female chattering away about behind-the-scene-coverage and family ties having something to do with heightened instincts and vigilantes. He does not understand all of what she is talking about but he does not like it. The old one who usually reeks of urine and sadness is silent. But he doesn't smell of sadness anymore and less urine than general filth as he watches the younger ones with a slight smile on his face.

He decides to leave, let them wear themselves out and lose their way trying to find him, then there is a smiling blue and white floating thing in his face and he is falling out of the tree he was perched in. The four he has been tracking are crowded around him and for a moment he is overwhelmed by loud voices and sharp, unnatural, scents. Another voice cuts through and the coloured ones are the first pushed away as the ponytail lady comes into view. He stares at her as she scolds the others and gets them working on packing up all of his belongings. She helps him up but does not stop directing and wrangling the discordant group until there is a room at the coloured ones' den that looks like they picked up his cave and stuck it into the ground beneath the building filled with stuffed boxes and his mother is exploring their temporary home.

"I tried my best to make it as close to the real thing as possible." He jumps when she starts speaking next to him.

"You made this," he gestures to the cave, "for Mogar?"

She frowns a little and shrugs. "Well yeah, the dweebs burned your house down and did a shit job of rebuilding it so someone had to clean up their mess." Mogar just stares at her until she sighs. "What?"

"Why do you take care of them so much? Are they your cubs?" He doesn't understand why this makes her laugh, he just knows that he likes the sound.


	2. A Break In Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Hilda-spective. We see a bit of Hilda's life with her new family

Hilda has never really been one for change unless she was the one making it. Being the driving force behind new technology and advances in science has been her dream since she was a little girl. And now she gets to spend her days in a lab leading the charge into the future, nothing new happens without her say so. Sure she has been made CEO again and is actively trying to make it work this time around; but other than Rusty and the mayor making almost daily visits to her new office to help her muddle through the hithertos and whyfors it’s just part of the routine. So when the two idiots who call themselves heroes barge into her lab and declare that they’ve actually found themselves a place to call headquarters the news doesn’t affect her very much. What does affect her is that with the help of Monarchs Lab’s too-eager-to-please-board they were able to fashion a wing entirely dedicated to her gadgety science stuff. Attached to her own room… She is a little curious to see what they were able to come up with, but hey, those idiots are going to have to work for it. So they drag her half-assedly kicking and screaming to a moderately sized house painted a mix of green, navy blue, baby blue, red, black, white… and purple. It’s hideous. The colors clash horrendously and she has to fight the urge to shield her eyes from the glare of the shit colors they chose. Vav must see the look she makes because he chuckles with a goofy grin on his face.

“Yeah, looks bloody horrendous, but it's home.” Hilda bites back the sarcastic remark on his stupid shit-eating grin or the way he sounded like a schoolgirl with a crush. X-Ray is going on about needing soundproof walls for his mother’s rooms and possibly some questionable security measures for the entire fucking neighbourhood, but he’s got that same grin and the same look in his eyes and Hilda can’t find it in herself to say no to them.

"Ugh, fine,” she tries her hardest to seem extremely put out and inconvenienced “Where’s my rooms? And I do expect my lab to not double as my bedroom.” The day after she's officially moved in and even let the lease on her old apartment end X-Ray and Vav reveal their secret identities to her over an elaborate homemade breakfast and fresh coffee made just a little too sweet. Gavin Free works as a video editor and special effects guy for a small production company alongside Ray Narvaez Jr. who is a video and sound editor. Of course the dweebs were total nerds in real life.

A couple of weeks later and Hilda has more or less adapted to sharing a house with the dweebs, Ray’s mother and Rusty’s usually uninhabited room. Ash comes around more often than she is generally comfortable with and practically lives there with how often she spends the night in what has become  her guest room on Hilda’s floor. But Hilda has most of the above ground floors to herself most of the day, so that isn't too bad. And it's actually kind of nice waking up to the slight hum of machinery in the next room and the sound of her idiots trying to make breakfast without burning down the house wafting up from downstairs.

She’s gotten used to going down to the kitchen in her pajamas, grabbing the cup of coffee Ray has set out for her and searching the fridge for the special sugary creamer Gavin has concocted for her caffeine enhancement. It’s routine to detach ORF from her charging dock by the pantry and sit down at the head of the table to watch as the boys muddle through their latest breakfast experiment.

“Miss Hilda, why haven’t you installed any sort of robot breakfast machine in the kitchen or something?”

“Yeah, you’re totally using us as slaves or some- ow, Vav! Do not throw the bacon into the pan, that’s how you get grease burns!”

Hilda hides her smile behind her white mug with blue and purple atom models on it and shrugs. “I’ll get round to it someday I guess.”

Most days Ash will come down a little while after her, dressed and ready to go. After maneuvering around Ray and Gavin she’ll sit to the left and a couple of chairs down from Hilda with her own cup of coffee right as breakfast is declared edible and a plate is placed on the table before the finally awake scientist. ORF cleans up the kitchen, the boys head to work or out on patrol depending on the day, Ash heads to her apartment, notes and drafts for her blog sticking out of her laptop bag, and Hilda makes sure one of the housebots takes a tray up to Mrs. Narvaez’s room. If Rusty actually used his room the night before he’ll stumble down closer to noon and mumble something close to a thanks as Hilda presses a fresh mug of black coffee into his hands and maneuvers him to the table where a hot plate of bacon and eggs is waiting for him. Sometimes there will be a couple slices of French toast and a splash of Jack Daniels in his coffee if he was limping more than he was stumbling the night before. He doesn’t mention it to the others or ever thank her out loud, and she doesn’t hold him to any sort of extra favors or paybacks. But whenever she needs a specific part or some new information Rusty just happens to know a guy… maybe. Possibly. It was a long time ago… you know what? Forget it, I got nothin. And the next day she makes sure that there’s extra syrup on his French toast, his bacon is extra crispy and there’s more alcohol than caffeine in his coffee as she pats his back and heads up to her rooms to get to the package that she had found outside her door that morning.

The day the boys sit her down at her usual spot, ORF already off her dock, Ash and Rusty sitting down with the remnants of a hasty breakfast pushed to the side, and place her coffee in front of her just the way she likes it she already knows what her answer is.

“No.”

“But Hilda, you don’t even know what we’re going to ask yet.” Gavin squawks as he sits next to Ash.

Hilda lets out a long suffering sigh and takes her glasses off to rub her temples. “You’re going to ask if you can keep some wild animal or random –possibly dangerous- toy that happened to ‘follow you home’.”

“Well joke’s on you cause it’s neither of those things!” Ray exclaims from his spot across from Ash. And okay, seems like there was a game of musical chairs at some point cause the only person in their proper spot is Samaya.

“I mean, technically there are wild animals involved.” Rusty pipes up from his place to her right.

“Animals? Plural?” she grinds out. Ray and Gavin shrink into their seats as Ash perks up.

"We’re not dealing with wild animals here. Well, I guess his mother is but if she raised a human she must be sentient and-"

Hilda holds up a hand, cutting her off as she takes a long drag from her cup. She lowers it as she holds the empty cup out towards the kitchen. Gavin is up in a flash to refill it, Ray bolting after him and grabbing a plate off the counter. “I am going to assume that you’re talking about Mogar and his mother.” There’s some sound of confirmation as the coffee and food are placed in front of her and they take their seats again. “Then,” she says around a mouthful of avocado and toast, “What exactly have you numbskulls come up with now?”

“Summer is nearly over-“

“And all the forecasts and shit keep saying that this winter is going to be really bad.”

“Like worse than bloody England, mate.”

“And we all know that bear dude is way off the grid and everything,”

“But what about his mother?”

“Guys,” Hilda shouts, “What are you getting at?”

“Well…”

“We want to ask if Mogar and his mum can move in with us!”

“Vav!”

“Wot? It was your idea Ray.”

Hilda smirked as the tips of Ray's ears turned a bright shade of pink. “So someone getting a soft spot for our favorite furry?"

“Can we get to the point?” Rusty grumbles.

“Right.” She leans back and takes off her glasses, pinching the bridge of her nose. “So you want my permission?”

“Well it is your house Hilda.” Ash says as she stands, dirty plates in hand and Hilda doesn't bother reminding her whose names are actually on the deed. “Your house your rules. But having Mogar, X-Ray and Vav all under the same roof as the CEO of Monarch Labs… That would be blogging gold, let alone front page for days.”

“Tempting Samaya, real tempting.” The men leaned in as she tapped an off-beat cadence on the table. “Fine.”

“Whoo!” Ray shot up from his seat, arms raised in victory. Then looked at Gavin’s wide smile and the others’ smirks. His arms cross in front of his chest and he folds a bit into himself, not meeting any of their gazes. “I mean, cool.”

Hilda smiled and shook her head. “I can have something set up for them in about a week.”

“Great, that means we have a week to find and move them in.” Gavin rushes from his seat, pulling Ash with him to the door. Hilda zones out, going over calculations in her head and sending ORF after them to get the specs on wherever Mogar and his mother had been planning on spending the winter. It takes a little over a week but soon there’s a dugout cave leading into the house with a back tunnel leading down into Ray’s and Gavin’s underground ‘lair’. And a few days later Hilda finds herself coordinating the transplant of a bear man and a magical cow from the middle of the woods into their basement. The day of the move she notices that Mogar seems a little more clueless than normal as he looks around the house and the artificial cave.

“I tried my best to make it as close to the real thing as possible.” She chuckles when he jumps at her voice.

“You made this,” He gestures to the cave, “For Mogar?”

She frowns a little at the question. Why go to all the trouble of making a fucking cave just because her idiots wanted a new pet? She just shrugs. “Well yeah, the dweebs burned your house down and did a shit job of rebuilding it so someone had to clean up their mess.” Mogar’s stare unnerves her a bit. “What?”

“Why do you take care of them so much? Are they your cubs?” Hilda stares at him for a second before she’s bending over laughing, wiping at the tears and clutching her sides.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Mogar has seen how they listen to you, has seen how you keep them from harm and they carry your scent."

"My scent?"

He looks at her the way he looks at her boys when they're being particularly stupid. "Yes, the entire den smells like you."

"Den? Oh the house." He nods and goes back to watching Gavin trying to lift his sword. "Well, they're not my cubs, but I don't want to let them get hurt."

Mogar nods and hmms almost sagely. "So they are your pack."

"What?"

"The colored ones, the excitable female and the one who reeks, they are your pack."

"No, well..." She looks at the four people she had come to call friends and maybe... something more. "Yeah," she sighs with a soft smile, "I guess they are."

Mogar just turns to her with a soft, happy smile and Hilda feels most of the air leave her lungs. She feels herself fighting the urge to take a comb to his hair, or maybe a washcloth to the dirt covering the freckles on his cheeks. "It is good to have pack."

She frowns at him. "Does this mean you're pack now?" The breathless feeling leaves when his face falls into a scowl.

"No, Mogar and his mother are not pack." He crosses his arms and turns away from her with a growl. "We will be leaving when the rains replace the snow."

"Oh, okay then."

"Hilda, Mogar lookit!" Gavin calls, Mogar's sword pointed straight up and almost falling on the other three standing around.

"I swear to god Gavin Free, if you hit anything with that fucking glorified cleaver!" Yeah, they were idiots. But they were her pack of idiots.


	3. First Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mogar doesn't understand. But does that matter?

Living in the city was strange. Mogar didn't understand how anyone could be comfortable in a place filled with so many sounds and smells. But no one around him seemed troubled by it and even his mother enjoyed their temporary home. Somehow the ponytail lady had put together a device that worked like the Mad King's except that it was in some sort of wire box that allowed his mother to use it at her own will if she ever had too much milk. Mogar had not even known that could be a problem for her. And behind the building the yard was filled with the 'wild' grasses and flowers his mother liked best and a couple of large trees all encompassed in a glass dome that made it always feel like summer. Ponytail lady called it a greenhouse. Why would she make the cave if she had already made this? His mother told him it wasn't polite to ask why so he bit his tongue whenever he smelled something sweet enter the room.

It was almost a week before Mogar followed the smell of strange food to the kitchen and stood in bafflement at the controlled chaos. Ponytail lady held a steaming mug in one hand and was reaching into a large box with the other as the coloured ones went out of their way to move around her and avoid collisions as she moved about the kitchen. He watched as they returned her smiles and ‘good mornings’ with more enthusiasm than necessary. As they swelled up in pride, preening at her small words of praise at their cooking. She sat at one end of the wooden table and after a few seconds Mogar slowly circled around her to stiffly sit at the other.

"Good morning Mogar." she said with a soft smile. It wasn't the same one she had given the coloured ones. It was closer to the one she gave the curious female when she made her way into the room. He frowned. The coloured ones had moved around Ponytail lady and given her their full attention when she spoke, something his mother had told him was normal for males to do for females in the city. But the curious female had to weave her way between and around them as they worked and only got vague noises, simple responses and friendly smiles whenever she spoke to them.

"Oh, Mogar!" The curious female exclaimed as she sat to his right. "You came up for breakfast." his frown deepened.

"Yes, ponytail lady and colourful ones said that Mogar was welcomed."

"Ponytail lady?" Hilda quirked an eyebrow at him over the rim of her mug.

"Yes?" Hilda smiled at the hesitancy in his voice and the way his brow furrowed in something near worry at her response. "Is that not acceptable?" She chuckled at him.

"Why not call me Hilda? Everyone else does." Mogar just grunts and nods.

"And I'm Ash. The 'coloured ones' are X-Ray and Vav."

"I know who the coloured ones are." He grumbled at Ash then turned to Hilda. "You called the green one Ray and the blue one Gavin, correct?"

Hilda's smile was almost like the one she had given the boys in the kitchen. "Yeah, that's their names." Mogar stared at her for a second then nodded.

"Get it while it's hot losers!" Ray shouted as he came into the room carrying a steaming plate. "More coffee?"

Hilda just smiled as he grabbed her empty mug, not waiting for an answer, and traded it for the plate full of food. Mogar followed Ash's prompting to get up and get food as he watched Ray fill the mug again and pass it off to Gavin who poured what looked like a thick milk into it before he brought it back to Hilda and sat down with his own plate. Musing over this strange pack he took the large spoon that Ash held out to him and began trying to scoop a portion of the strange looking eggs onto his plate.

"She must be a powerful alpha." he muttered as some of the eggs went flying.

"What was that?"

"The ponytail lady, Hilda." he stabs the spoon into the yellow mass again. "The coloured ones present her food before they are fed, common in packs."

"Alpha huh? Yeah, I guess she would be...in a way..." she suddenly gasps. "If we're a pack, that's like a family right?" Mogar nods. "So you're a part of our pack too now?"

"No."

"Why not?" she deflates a bit as she helps him clean up the mess he had made.

"Mogar has his mother. Mother has Mogar. There is no need for pack."

"You doing okay there?" Mogar jumps slightly and stops his second go at the eggs to look at Hilda.

"Mogar did not hear you approach."

She waves him off and nods to Ash who finishes serving herself and goes back to the table. She smiles slightly as she looks at the mess on the stovetop and chuckles. "Here," grabbing the hand holding the spoon she adjusts his grip and helps him scoop a generous amount onto his plate. "If you need help, just ask." he nods silently and mumbles a thank you as she walks him through serving himself.

"Mogar wanted to thank you for your assistance." he mumbles after the curious female has gone to her own den and the colored ones are off patrolling the pack's territory.

"Mhmm." she hums, not looking at him.

"Mogar is not used to," his face scrunches in effort. "Oo-tents-stilts."

Hilda chuckles as she places something into a pan, directing machines and sending one with a tray to another member of the pack who had not come down for breakfast. "That's okay, it takes time."

"Did the coloured ones not provide you with enough food?"

"What?" she seemed to snap out of her work focused trance. "Oh, the toast." Mogar stared unblinking at the soft look that came over her face. "Rusty was a bit beat up when he came home last night." that's all the answer she offers and Mogar feels there is more she is not telling him but doesn't push further. He just hums thoughtfully, moving into the background as Ponytail lady finishes up and pours a harsh, acidic smelling liquid into a cup of the sharp bitter water she was drinking earlier and the smell of urine and sadness wafted into the room. Hilda almost glides over to the older male and softly places the mug into his grasp, one hand on his wrist, the other on his shoulder blade as she guides her packmate to the table. Faster than he is used to seeing her move she grabbed the plate of food she had prepared off the counter and placed it in front of him. Mogar couldn't hear what she said to him as he ate, or what he grunted back, but could only watch as she stood close to him and rubbed his back lightly. He recognized this as one of the many human equivalents to scenting. Shaking his head he leaves the room that was slowly starting to fill with the smell of metal and something sweet.

A few days later the coloured ones barge into the warm domed area Mogar has been practicing with his sword in, newspaper clippings and blurry photos in hand. All of a sudden he's being grappled to the ground by the blue one who's rambling about pack and family and how ‘tippy top’ it all is. The green one is just in the background grumbling about overexcited puppies and weird ass families as he pulls the blue one off. And no matter how much Mogar protests or shouts at them that he is not a member of their pack Gavin still has that sparkly eyed stupid smile and Ray won't drop his smug, almost knowing, grin.


	4. New Look

Fall is finally over and winter settling on the city when Hilda grudgingly admits to herself that Mogar and his mother are now part of her routine. She hesitantly acknowledges that he found a way to wiggle a spot in the quiet moments between her usual morning interactions… and she might not mind. It's closer to Christmas after Ash has officially moved in when she begins noticing just how much a part of everyone's life he has become. He grapples and spars with Ray and Gavin to help them learn some actual hand-to-hand combat for about a month before she makes sure to happen by the kitchen where they're all patching each other up to help Mogar walk them through basic first-aid and his forest tricks. Then one night she goes to investigate the racket downstairs to find a slightly bruised and kinda bloody Mogar laughing and practically carrying an extremely drunk but-not-as-beat-up-as-usual Rusty. It takes her exactly half an hour while cleaning them up and grabbing them some food to hear the story of Rusty dragging Mogar to a bar, getting them into a fight, and Mogar’s claim of a brotherhood formed in the blood of their enemies and a battle well fought. Not too long later he begins addressing X-Ray and Vav as shield brothers when some reporter corners the three of them after a fight with a rising villain they had finally put down.

Then Ash picks up on this newfound camaraderie and has to have her two-bits. So on the mornings he's found sitting across from Hilda, tasting the newest breakfast beverage the boys have decided to introduce him to -so far he had liked tea best and Gavin was going crazy having him try different blends with different sweeteners or none at all- Ash would come down, grab her coffee, and begin talking to Mogar about his time at the house, his life before they met him, and occasionally talked him into accompanying her on errands or shopping trips when she failed with Hilda. After breakfast she would hand off some papers to Mogar to help him become more acquainted with the world he was now acknowledging. He would hold onto them through Hilda and Rusty’s daily ritual. Then, as she made her way up to her room and labs there he was, sword leaning against the wall beside him as he stood, arms crossed and a forced scowl on his face. Hilda would smile softly, pat his shoulder, and invite him in. They would spend about an hour working through letters and words until Mogar had a basic concept of the documents and a firmer grasp on the written language.

One day he shyly hands her a slightly crumpled and stained piece of paper before sulking off, not even staying for their not quite lessons. It's covered in his slowly improving scratchy scrawl but she smiles at all of their names written under the heading **Pack**. It really doesn't bother her that Mogar’s name isn't on there, or that Ray, Gavin, and Ash’s real names sit next to what he usually called them but hers just read Ponytail Lady. And it definitely is no concern of hers when Ash makes a grand entrance later that day, arms covered in bags from different clothing stores and calls them all into the entrance hall for a grand reveal of Mogar stepping through the front door. Bearskin and his usual pants and boots gone, Hilda’s breath definitely does not whoosh out of her lungs at the sight of Mogar standing in the entrance of the house. Her mind does not go fuzzy at the sight of his auburn curls poking out from underneath a bear hat with little paws dangling at his sides, an almost too tight red shirt with a bear paw in front of a sword that looked an awful lot like the sword strapped to Mogar’s back, a pair of jeans that she was not even going to acknowledge the way they hugged his hips and a loose dark grey hoodie with sleeves that threatened cover his hands completely.

Hilda doesn't hear Ash gushing about Christmas shopping with Mogar. How they discovered his own fanbase and had to disguise him. Or that there was even a tree waiting to be brought inside the house. She just turns and snaps something about going up to her rooms to work on a project. She misses everyone's worried looks and hushed whispers. Ash’s questions of ‘Is she sick?’ ‘should we follow her?’. Gavin’s worried rantings of upsetting her so close to Christmas, and Ray’s grumblings about stupid girls ruining the holidays. But as she climbs the stairs she feels someone's gaze boring into her skull and turns back to see Mogar standing surrounded by colorful bags and chattering people with a hurt and confused look that makes her chest ache. She doesn't know what's wrong either.


	5. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mogar reflects on the question that is Hilda. And his mother helps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BFAB on sporadic hiatus due to beginning of the semester coming up. Something Sweet will be updated on as normal a basis as I can make it.  
> On the hunt for a betareader for Something Sweet and/or Beauty For A Beast. If you are interested in either or both my contact info is on my profile, don't be afraid to hmu.  
> Kudos/comments make an author's world go round. =^w^=

He sighs as he settles into the small cushion of soft grass and clover beside her. Fiddling with his sword as he moves it from his back into his lap he avoids her gaze. “Mother, Mogar does not understand Ponytail lady.” So that's what this was about. Finally.

If you asked her, this was a simple, straightforward situation with an easy solution. “Mmmooo.”

“But that is the problem, she is not like other females of this place Mogar has met.” Well of course she wasn't.

“Moo?”

“She is not strong but is able to control all of her pack with respect… and maybe a little bit of fear." A fear he seemed to share to a degree. "They make sure she does not let herself grow weak and she ensures their injuries are tended to, their battles not fought alone.” What else would he expect?

“Mmmoooo?”

“Yes." He sighs heavily and leans against her. "And her scent is everywhere. She scents all of them without even thinking. It is a part of how she cares for them without even knowing.” he smiles softly, “They are soothed by her very presence before she even speaks a word of comfort.”

“Moo.”

“Well, that is not the problem. Mogar understands Ponytail lady is the alpha, but Mogar does not understand… Hilda.” What was there to understand? He seemed to have it figured out.

“Hhhrmmm?”

“Mogar does not understand why Ponytail lady makes him… nervous. He does not wish to be alpha, and she does not threaten him. So why do I feel,” he shifts around and scowls at a clump of grass in front of his feet. “uneasy around her?”

Oh, well that was easy. “Moo.”

“Mother! I am not-” he turned his head away at her incredulous look, a light dusting of pink covering his cheeks. “Besides, she is this pack's alpha. They need her.”

So did he. “Mmooo.”

“I did not say that!" She rolls her eyes towards him dramatically. "Besides, even if Mogar did wish for that he will have to do without. She belongs here, and I belong to- in... the forest.”

“Moo.” she glares at him, huffing in his face. How did she raise such a stupid boy?

Mogar sighs heavily, “Very well… but I will wait until this day of celebration they are preparing for.”

Not good enough. “Hhrmph.”

“Fine, Mogar will start tomorrow.” That's better. She swallows her mouthful of grass and gives him a long lick that makes the hair on one side of his head stand up a bit. He makes a disgruntled sound and sniffs the air to make sure they're alone before whispering, "Mogar loves you too mother.” Oh her little warrior. No matter how tall he grew, how strong he bacame or enemies he vanquished, he would always be her little bearcub.


	6. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, life is mean and being a college student is harder than it seems.

She doesn't quite understand it at first. The way he would come looking for her after the shopping trip. So she made a point of hiding away in her labs, ORF on lookout for any uninvited guests. Or the looks he would give her when she went out of her way to avoid him or being around the others for too long. And no, it was not because seeing Mogar made her brain stop working properly and her stomach melt into a mass of butterflies despite whatever abnormal readings ORF claimed she picked up from her when he came around. Or because the others kept asking questions that she didn't quite have the answers to. So she wouldn't stay for breakfast, opting instead for a piece of toast and a cup of strong coffee as she throws herself headfirst into her work. Only coming down to make sure Rusty gets his breakfast and to see the others off. When she realizes that even her personal labs are no longer safe from his presence or the nagging of the others, ORF had decided the solution to the abnormal readings was to experiment with her interactions with others, she decides heading out with the others to go to her actual office at Monarch Labs is the only solution. Of course he follows her even there.

He tries the front doors first, because that was something he had learned from his new allies. People preferred it if you didn't sneak on through backdoors that were supposed to be locked anyway. It's distracting having to handle the paranoia of her security team concerning the former partner of their villainous former CEO. And work seems to pile up the more distracted she gets by a certain bear man dressed like some wayward college student once the others decide maybe the body paint and sword isn't the best way to get a visitor through security. She pulls up the feed from one of the lobby cameras to see a confused curly haired bearman in disguise trying to make his way up to her lair. She sighs heavily. Maybe it would be easier to just give in and see him. She didn't last a week.

As he walks in she notices the way her usually standoffish secretary tries standing as close to him as possible, fluttering her lashes and giggling with the brightest smile her surly little self can muster. He doesn't even notice it and that makes the sharp need to do something to that little blonde twit go away. Then there's a canvas bag being held in her face and she hesitantly takes it, eyeing the way he won't look at her, mumbling something she can't understand. It's a collection of shiny baubles and some spare parts she's been looking for with a handful of chocolate bars and what looks like a few treated animal skins. She pulls out one of the soft leathers that feels more like cloth than anything and raises a single brow at him. He still won't look at her but mutters something about tradition and gifts and hoping she likes it. Her smile softens and she can't help but chuckle at him and the wide eyed expression he gives her. They agree to talk after dinner, after all of the others have gone to bed and he hesitates before making his way to the door. She's shocked at the feeling of slightly chapped lips on her cheek then the feeling of being pulled close and his nose nuzzling her in the spot behind her jaw just below her ear, auburn curls tickling at her neck and cheek. The rest of the meetings and inspections that day pass in a blur and she finds herself thinking back to the glint in nervous but happy brown eyes and the bag of assorted items sitting on her desk and can't help but smile.

When she gets home that evening it takes her a minute to realize something. There's no noise. No Ray and Gavin yelling at each other, no Ash chattering on about the latest scoop, and no Rusty rambling on about Vietnam and why the sake was always gone. There's just a pile of hastily written notes on the coffee table with some half-ass excuses about extra patrols, following a lead, last minute Christmas shopping, or heading out to a new bar. Then music slowly fills the air and she drops her bags and rushes after it. She's met by a smaller table than normal in the dining area, set for two, with candles and an old record player off to the side playing a soft melody that reminds her of dance lessons and her mother's lectures about being a ‘proper lady’. And there, standing by the table pulling uncomfortably at the bow tie and suit that fits just right but he can't seem to settle in, is Mogar. His curls have been kind of tamed and there's not a trace of the dirt or paints that usually stains some part of him no matter how much he tries to adhere to normal standards of cleanliness and his sword is nowhere to be seen. She's so shocked and surprised by all of it that she feels she's a little justified in her reaction when she starts laughing. He is shocked for a moment before he scowls at her.

“Do you find this funny?” he gestures angrily at the room.

“N-no, just,” and she gestures at her own eyes. “Glasses.” Then she's off again and Mogar fiddles with the latest addition to his wardrobe.

“Ash took Mo- me to the… optomterist.”

He kind of falls into himself and Hilda finally gets a hold of herself, walking up to him and reaching up to fix the bow tie he had skewed. “Well I like them.” She smiles up at him. “They're cute.” He can't help blushing as she straightens up his jacket and hair that he had been pulling at. “Give me a minute.” And she's running off.

He's pacing when 20 minutes later she shyly walks into the room. His wide eyes and unhinged jaw make her second guess herself. She tugs at the hem of the light blue dress Ash had convinced her to get a few months before. “Sorry it took me so long.”

“You are…” he trails off and snaps up, back straight and face almost emotionless. “Please sit.” She smiles weakly as she sits in the chair he had pulled out for her. “Beautiful,” he's standing by her chair, not looking at her but there's spots of colour high on his cheeks “Mogar wanted to say that you are beautiful.”

She finds him easy to talk to, and that she thinks the way he has to make sure and speak in first person is endearing. They talk about growing up in the city and the forest, the intricacies of the lives of a warrior and a scientist. He hesitantly asks if she was enjoying herself and she can't help but smile at him. She can't remember having a better time. As he places dessert on the table she has to ask: how did he do all this? Past the blushing and the mumbles she hears something about the coloured ones teaching him to make the meal and the excitable female helping with the table and music. Rusty insisted that Mogar pair the meal with only the finest wine -that he had just so happened to have a bottle of. And she thinks she could get used to this.

Then it's out there, a stillness settles between them at the question that Mogar seems to have regretted asking as they sit on the back porch, the top of the greenhouse open to show the stars. If he can court her, it may not be quite the human way, but he promises he won't do too much of his ‘bearman’ stuff. She just smiles and leans in a little.

"After tonight, you'd better.” And plants a light kiss onto his lips. She leans on his shoulder contentedly and pretends to not hear the excited whispers coming from somewhere behind themas he slowly relaxes at the proximity and places an arm around her shoulders. Yeah, she'd say Christmas came a little early for her.


	7. Gifts

There's a thump and a bang and suddenly the colored ones are falling in a heap by Mogar's sleeping furs.

“What do you want?” he growls, reaching out for his new glasses.

“Mornin’ Mogar!”

“We couldn't help but notice just how well things with you and Hilda went last night.” Ray waggles his eyebrows at him from under Gavin.

He can't help smiling at the memory. “Yes, the plan you all helped Mogar make worked very well. Mogar is grateful.”

“Yeah I know, we're awesome. But now it's the hard part buddy.”

Gavin had scrambled off of Ray and now struck a ‘heroic’ pose. “Now we integrate your bearman courtship rituals with some good old fashioned dating basics for the ultimate wooing experience!” Mogar just blinked owlishly. Had the two practiced the choreography for this early morning meeting?

“Mogar is not sure that the colored ones are the best choices to be helping him…”

“Wha- but we're Hilda’s pack, mate. Who knows her better than pack?” Mogar just shook his head at them as he rose from the mass of furs and blankets he had been using as a bed.

“Just because you are pack does not mean you are the best option. Mogar will go to the curious female. She will be the best option.”

“Pfft, whatever.” Ray rolled his eyes. “Good luck with that, dude.”

They all froze at a clanking sound from upstairs. “Why is there no fucking coffee?”

“And that's our cue to go, good luck bro, you know, wooing and all.”

“Later mate, remember, we're always here to advise ya.”

“Mogar will join you all for breakfast shortly.”

Christmas came and went. Mogar sat through the pack's different traditions and smiled at the making of new ones. It was right after Hilda introduced him to mistletoe with a sweet kiss on the cheek that he pulled her aside for her gift.

“But you already gave me something.” Her fingers ghosted over the woven necklace she wore. It was leather and twine with bits of carved bone and shell beaded into the design. She was sure she had learned about the significance of the piece and its peculiar designs and components in one of her college history courses but that might have been part of the chunks she deleted for the extra storage space.

He nodded and reached behind his back. “That is for ponytail lady. This, this is for metal woman.” He held out what seemed to be a slightly curved dagger in a simple leather sheath. She stared at it. “I care for you... and wish to protect you,” he looked up at her and smirked, “But we both know that you do not need it.” she drew the blade and it shown in the warm light, pearlescent sheen broken by beautiful runework carved into the blade itself.

“Mogar-”

“You are strong and brave and lead this pack like a true alpha. They follow not out of fear, but respect and love.” Her hand rested on the hilt of the blade. “Mogar sees the woman and the warrior,” She drew the dagger out of the sheath and marvelled for a moment at the bone blade. “And he cares for both… he wants both.”

“I-I don't, that is. Good lord…” he chuckled at her fumbling words and flushed cheeks. “Why are you so… augh?!”

“Mogar understands, he will wait.” She looked nervously up at him over the top of her glasses. “Mogar will wait until his sword is too heavy to lift and the sun falls from the sky. I will stay by your side until the long night calls me and even then I will fight to stay with you. I promise.” then she makes a strange sound and he has his arms full of clingy scientist rambling on about perfectly cheesy bearmen and feels and primeval romance honor bullcrap. The overwhelming smell of something cloyingly sweet and the sharp tang of not quite metal rests on his tongue as he breathes her in. He's barely making any sense of it all when the rambling stops and there's soft palms on either side of his face. The pads of her fingers are calloused and there's even some scars and callouses on her palms where they rest on his skin. Her breath is hot and smells slightly of bitter drink as she leans in close.

“C-can I?” she's trembling in his arms and he barely registers the fact that the dagger is dangerously close to his face. His stomach coils sharply and he finds he can't look away from her blown pupils, her scent has taken on a new texture and is making him dizzy. He nods. And her lips are on his in a searing kiss. This isn't like the light caress of lips they had shared once before, and it's nothing like the wet, sloppy spectacles he had seen mates sharing about the city. This is soft and achingly sweet and a little awkward from the sense of urgency in the way she cradles his cheeks in her hand and the fact she's leaning down to kiss him. He briefly wonders if he should have put her down between the tackle hug and the kissing question.

C-click!

They pull apart, panting and flushed and he's looking at her with wide eyes and puffy lips.

“This is definitely going in the scrapbook.” Ash smirks with a wink and walks out with a confident sway in her hips, Polaroid waving in her hand.

“Does-” he clears his throat, she's still in his arms, though now he has a more comfortable grip on her that has her flush against him. “Does this mean you accept Mogar’s gift?” She laughs and kisses him again, slow and sweet, before prying herself out of his arms and picking up the discarded sheath.

“You might need to teach me how to use this.” She chuckles. “Cause I have no fucking clue what happens past slashy stabby.”


	8. Soiree Gone South

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda hated parties, but come vicious monsters, blood-thirsty reporters or nosy fangirls, they'd be alright so long as they had each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next installment will be on the day of hearts. See you lovelies then!

Once the Christmas season was over Hilda almost sighed in relief. Almost looked on the remaining winter months with a sense of peace and anticipation at the social off-season. But this was Achievement City, and here, crime never had an off-season. Meaning heroes never had an off-season, so the social elite always had an excuse to throw another soiree or brunch in honor of said heroes. And Hilda, as the CEO of Monarch Labs, a known member of X-Ray and Vav’s crime-fighting band of misfits, and the less well-known Metal Lady, was obligated to attend every single one thrice over. Especially the ones she ‘hosted’.

When all of the invitations started coming in the only consolation she really had was that this year she would be able to drag Mogar along as her date. All gussied up with his not-quite-hipster glasses and too-form-fitting-to-be-legal tuxedos and dinner suits. The thought made her smile and blush a little. Now she knew that he found it difficult being dragged around like that. Dealing with the politics of the city’s elite and not completely understanding or not being able to respond with his fists and sword to the thinly veiled insults. So she tried not letting him anywhere out of her sight. Tried keeping him away from the ones who looked at him and saw a challenge to their… something… she didn't get why so many of these people had it out for Mogar honestly. Ray and Gavin she could get, they were idiots who didn't understand high society, but even Mogar was more well behaved than they were.

She soon discovered keeping Mogar on her arm at all times was actually much harder in practice than it had seemed in her head. There was always some bag of hot air trying to drag her off for a dance or to talk business. Business she finally understood and found she was damn good at. Or one of the debutante trophy wives trying to get her to gossip or intimidate her into a more submissive role in the workings of the company… and to probably try and marry her off to one of the high-profile bachelors hanging about the edges of the event. Her nerves were not at all helped by the thought of the rest of her mishmashed family running wild and unarmed amongst some of the most vicious, conniving, cutthroat foes they would ever face. Her panicked thoughts are cut off by a small cold hand resting on her hip.

“Well hey there doll.” He has green eyes and golden blonde hair that's perfectly styled and a suit that must have cost her tuition. “What's a lovely piece like you doing walking around without an escort?”

Great, he thought he was charming.

“Uh, who do you think you are?” She tries to keep her voice neutral as she slips out of his arm. She shudders as his hand slides off her hip, a hand so soft it doesn't even catch on the silk despite the fingers trying to grasp at her waist. It leaves a sour taste in her mouth.

He laughs and moves closer. “The name's Eric, Eric Laughley.” by the quirk of his eyebrow and the way his chest puffed up a little she could tell he expected this to cause a certain reaction. And it did, in a sense.

“Oh, so you're John's son?”

“You know my father?” The eyebrow dropped, his stance turned a little defensive.

“Don't worry, I'm not a reporter or one of his mistresses or anything.” She chuckles as she snatches a glass of something bubbly and pink from a passing waiter. Not facing him she brings the drink up just below her lips. “I'm just his boss.” bringing the glass to her mouth covers her smile at the dying fish sounds he's starting to make.

“Well, in that case.” The smirk and easy stance were back in place. Damn the kid recovered fast. “Perhaps we should have a dance, get to know eachother better.”

“Nah.”

“Nah?”

“My dance card is full dude.”

He snorts, “By whom?”

She smiles sweetly at him as she glides past. “Mogar.” He watches, his mouth hanging open as she practically melts into the embrace of the curly haired bespectacled warrior who had hurried to her side, leaving a trail of disgruntled party-goers in his wake.

Mogar looks past her at the blonde with a glare. “Are you alright?” he fiddles with her necklace, the same one he had given her for Christmas. “He did not hurt you?” She laughs.

“Hurt me? Really?” She looks at him over her glasses, eyes sparkling with mischief.

He smiles, his cheeks flushing a little. “I just worry. Mogar is a protector, and though you are a warrior,” he touches his forehead to hers and rubs their noses together, “you are also his beloved.” the pink that spread across her cheeks made his chest warm.

And then the moment was gone. The sounds of screams and smashing glass ripped through the air followed by Gavin’s squawks and Ray's curses.

“Ugh,” she thumped her head on his chest. “They can't give us a week without causing shit?”

His chuckle rumbled through his chest and made her tighten her grip. “Come, we are needed.” She sighed again as he pulled away from her, shedding his suit jacket and taking his sword from ORF.

“Do you wish to initiate the battle suit?” The ever-cheery bot asked. She really needed to remember to pay more attention to the little AI

Hilda shook her head as she pulled at the easy-tear seam she had made sure was added to the design of her dress. “Experimental exo-suit program 157, impromptu setting.”

“Okay!” Hilda pulled her dagger from where she had strapped it to her thigh as ORF ejected four cuffs that clamped onto a limb each, the two smallest going for her arms, and a small orb that stuck to Hilda’s chest.

“Ow!” Hilda hissed as the new technology embedded itself into her skin, lining up and connecting with the chips that lay beneath. She broke the heels off of her shoes as her bangle bracelets tightened up, spreading over her hands and linking with the cuffs to cover her forearms, becoming light, fingerless, metal gauntlets. And she tried not to fall on her face as the ones on her ankles grew to cover her calves, connecting to her now flat shoes. “Alright,” She rolled her shoulders back as Ash and some of the braver reporters took pictures and Vav was thrown against a wall. “Let's do this.” as she ran to the chaos that had been unleashed into the ballroom she felt the orb in her chest grown hot as the chest plate spread across her torso. That was a bit unexpected.

All other thoughts were beaten out of her as a spiked creature came towards her, striking at her face. “Aaagh!” the yell drew attention to her as she brought up one gauntleted hand to protect herself. And she smirked at the camera flashes that followed her other hand coming across with her dagger and slashing the thing in the chest. She could practically see the next day’s front page.

“Wot the bloody hell?!”

“Dude, liking the new duds!” She spared a smirk their way then focused back to the strange black creatures they were trying to beat back.

“Mogar is impressed with your new armor.” His words shocked her as he grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. “It is almost as if you took Curious female's advice to match.” oh if they weren't currently keeping the other alive she would sock that smirk off of his face.

“Just shut up and fight.” He laughed out loud at her and ducked beneath her blade as she stabbed at something to his left, using the momentum to roll across his back and kick at the next creature coming at them. “We'll talk about this later.” she tries not to get too distracted by the swell of muscles pulling at his dress shirt and the way his pants hug his hips.

“Does that mean that Mogar needs to plan another dinner?” She blushed and screamed as she punched an already falling creature in the face. And look at that, he just lost half of his shirt to a lucky swipe from a monster currently getting stabbed in the face. Eyes on the baddies Hilda, not your hot warrior boyfriend's hot tribal tattoos climbing up his arm and chest… dammit.

“Hilda, Mogar, are you two dating?”

“Is that why Mogar has been coming to the parties and celebrations of X-Ray and Vav?”

“Are there wedding bells in your future?”

“X-Ray, Vav, What is it like living with the two lovebirds?”

"Do bears have wedding bells?"

“Can the questions wait for **after** we stop the weird ass spike monsters?” Ray’s panicked yell stops most of the reporters’ questions. They just wait until after the fight, when Hilda is making sure no one broke anything, that the cut on Mogar’s cheek wasn't going to get infected, and that her dagger is cleaned and safely tucked away in its sheath. That's when they corner her pack. Bombarding them with questions of how and why and when. Ash, bless her, stands between the group and the horde. She helps Hilda patch up the boys -taking extra care with Vav- and fends off questions with quick dismissive answers as Hilda ushers the group to an employees only elevator where Rusty stands with the doors open and a 2x4 in hand.

“Well, that was an experience.” Mogar sighs when the six of them are sitting in Hilda’s office, Monarch Lab's medical team checking them over. Hilda looks over at them from where she's working with her hand-picked weapons and robotics team and some of the more specialized medics on getting the core for her new armor out of the spot just below the hollow of her throat, where it kinda dug and burned itself in.

“Yeah, but hey, we survived.” She signs some forms and packets that get passed around the team taking care of them. “Who knows what would have happened if those reporters had gotten ahold of us.” She sighs, a smile on her lips, as the rest of the room laughed. Yeah, they had to put up with the bad guys and reporters, and nosy fangirls, but they had each other. They'd be okay.


	9. When the Rain Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day!! I hope that you all have an amazing day and recieve all the hugs and kisses you lovelies deserve as you enjoy my lovely gift.  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .......please don't hate me

The coloured ones told Mogar about their pack’s ‘duties’ as the city's protectors to show make an appearance at all of the fancy parties and useless dinners. Mogar told them he was not pack, so he would not be going… but he found himself dragged along to every event by Hilda anyway. And while it was difficult for him, being led around while in the confining clothes that she and Ash had insisted he needed for the events, the smile she gave him and the strange look in her eye whenever she glanced his way was worth it. As part of the courtship Mogar had made a couple of rough jewelry pieces that he had been presenting to her almost daily since Christmas. And at each event he couldn't help the swell of pride when he saw at least one of his gifts on her settled amidst the colourless sparkling stones and flashing metals the other females wore. Growing up in the woods meant that he had never actually learned to dance the way you were supposed to at one of these fancy parties, in complicated patterns and sweeping circles perfectly timed so no pair knocked into another. But he found that with Hilda’s help, leading him along the outskirts into the center of the mass of rustling silks and suffocating perfumes, he almost looked like he knew what he was doing.

So he could get used to the infuriating clothes and complicated steps. The strange food and bubbly drinks that made his senses go a little fuzzy after a while. He could even deign to smile at the people that he was expected to not hurt at the parties despite the insults to him or one of Hilda’s pack. He could sort of understand it all. Could sort of make sense of all the traditions and rules of the city. What Mogar just couldn't understand was everyone else's interest in his courting her. It was probably his own fault, being so territorial of her attentions at the parties she dragged him to. Even going so far as to challenge some of the more persistent males when they tried cornering her at in secluded shadows with their greasy smiles and sharp sour scents that reeked of deception and ill intent. But Hilda and Ash had told him that you did not challenge other males to a fight to the death over a female… or for any reason really. So people were intrigued by his ‘bearman courting rituals’. And it was all made so much worse when the Monarch Labs New Year's party was attacked by the minions of one of the city's newest villains.

They had fought side by side, their movements fluid and in tune with the other’s. Now he knew that he wasn't any good at dancing in a circle or waltzing across a ballroom floor, but he figured that the way they moved together that night in battle came close enough. He was hard and steady and unyielding where she was soft and quick and adaptable, always protecting each other's weak points. When he fell back she would take his place and when she spun away from an enemy's strike he was there to block it. They were balanced and tuned to the same thrum of battle. He could see it in her eyes the way they lit up when she tossed a smile his way. Smelled it on her skin when she brushed in close just to slip away again. He could feel it pulsing through him with each strike and block and fist and kick that filled in the empty spaces she left. This was their dance.

So it didn't come as much of a surprise when, around the day of hearts, the day the air was heavy with tbe sweetness of chocolates and the scent of mating, Ash came down for breakfast with her laptop and excitedly showed everyone all of the pictures and articles that had been popping up since Mogar moved in. None of it seemed to bother Hilda so much as amuse or exasperate her in turn. Except for that one from what Ash had called a ‘gossip rag’, that had infuriated her. It came as no surprise that the coloured ones actually seemed to share the curious female’s excitement over it all so Mogar said nothing. In fact, he kinda liked the ones from their first time fighting together in front of the people with the flashing boxes and loud, personal, questions. He liked the way she looked at his side in that soft black dress with white and silver armor over it all. Her hair piled atop her head and pinned into place, the necklace he had given her on display where it rested against her collarbones. All caught in perfect detail. So he just sat silently through Gavin’s ramblings about what he had deemed the city's cutest couple. Chuckled at Ray’s fits about all of the fan written stories and fan created art pieces that was popping up about them, and the group in general, though he would never divulge just how he found any of it. And he trusted Ash and Rusty to -as Hilda said- work their magic at Public Relations. It wasn't until the snows occasionally turned into rain and he felt nature stirring that he let himself start to consider his fate. He had until the rain falls.

It was loud and ugly and had both Hilda and Mogar storming out of the restaurant with cameras popping and reporters yelling questions after them. The tabloids screamed out all the dirty details they could dig up -or make up and pass off- about what happened. Everyone spewing a different theory about what had Mogar dumping his suit jacket, tie, and dress shoes on the doorstep of the fanciest restaurant in town and running off into the temperate evening as Hilda summoned her full ORF suit to fly off. Ash and Rusty worked long hours with the PR department of Monarch Labs to control as much of what was being said as possible. And X-Ray and Vav were given explicit instructions to avoid the paparazzi at all costs until Ash gave them the all clear. But they never were very good with following directions. Slowly stories cropped up of Hilda spending long nights at the office. Mogar disappearing for days. Rusty actually avoiding alcohol to deal with the problems the group was facing. Trying to keep their family together.

But Rusty was no alpha and Ash could only do so much even with the crew that had kept the Mad King in the city's good graces pulling every string there was and calling in favors she didn't want to know about. The city noticed their dynamic duo patrolling by themselves again. _Ash’s to Ash’s_ all but shut down. And there was that strange hobo randomly shouting about Vietnam again. The mayor held a number of press conferences to try and quiet some of the rumors.

And the city hummed in confusion at the words  _'When the Rain Falls'_

The world was coming alive again when it happened. The small pack's morning ritual was shot to hell and it was one of the all too common days when everyone but Hilda and Mogar were at the table. They had settled into the only semblance of peace and family they had left when Mogar burst into the room, sword strapped to his back and bags under his eyes.

"Where is she?!"


End file.
